Safe landscapes, training help Fido avoid trouble

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Safe landscapes, training help Fido avoid trouble By Staff report The Post and Courier Sunday, June 21, 2009 Brad Nettles The Post and Courier Toni Bourguignon with

Hampton grabbed a king snake in his mouth recently, which gave Bourguignon concern about the risks of poisonous snakes.

1 Safe landscapes, training help Fido avoid trouble By Staff report The Post and Courier Sunday, June 21, 2009 Brad Nettles The Post and Courier Toni Bourguignon with her dogs (from left) Sawyer and Hampton at their Johns Island home Thursday. Hampton grabbed a king snake in his mouth recently, which gave Bourguignon concern about the risks of poisonous snakes. Poisonous snakes of the Lowcountry Copperhead The most common poisonous snake in South Carolina is the copperhead. It is found near marshes, lakes, streams and other bodies of water. Copperheads are usually inches long and are identified by colorful, patterned skin and a diamond-shaped head.

Cottonmouth Also known as the water moccasin, the cottonmouth is found by lakes, creeks and swamps.

The snake may be slow on land, but they are quite fast in water.

The elusive snake is rarely seen by humans because it spends the majority of its time burrowed underground.

2 Cottonmouth Also known as the water moccasin, the cottonmouth is found by lakes, creeks and swamps. It s inches in length and is marked by a dark, cross-branding pattern of olive, brown or black. The snake may be slow on land, but they are quite fast in water. Coral snake The pencil-sized coral snake is the least common poisonous snake in South Carolina. It s marked by red, black and yellow bands. The elusive snake is rarely seen by humans because it spends the majority of its time burrowed underground. Rattlesnakes There are three types of poisonous rattlesnakes in the Lowcountry: Eastern diamondback, pygmy and timber. They are usually found in drier areas. The diamondback is the largest venomous snake in the world and can grow up to 7 feet in length. It is marked by a series of brown diamonds running along its back surrounded by yellow or cream-color scales.

The timber rattlesnake ranges in color from yellow to gray-brown to black. Dark bands or chevrons run across its back. This snake is almost as large as the diamondback.

3 The timber rattlesnake ranges in color from yellow to gray-brown to black. Dark bands or chevrons run across its back. This snake is almost as large as the diamondback. The pygmy snake s skin can be grey, tan or lavender, and it ranges from 15 to 24 inches in length. Its rattle is barely audible because of its small size. Toni Bourguignon, a Johns Island resident, spotted a 5-foot, nonvenomous king snake while she was working in her backyard three weeks ago with her two dogs, Sawyer and Hampton. For Bourguignon, snake encounters are fairly frequent, so she wasn't too concerned. Suddenly, Hampton lunged and grabbed the snake in his mouth. Bourguignon watched in horror with Sawyer, who stayed back with her, while Hampton shook the snake violently until it snapped in half. Hampton was fine, but the incident scared Bourguignon. "Hampton will bark his full head off at everything he sees. He's a hunter," she says. "What if the snake had been poisonous?" According to Ted Klamp, reptile preservationist and owner of the Edisto Island Serpentarium, of the 32 species of snakes in South Carolina, six are venomous. All six are found in the Lowcountry: copperheads, cottonmouths (aka water moccasins), coral snakes and three types of rattlesnakes the pygmy, timber and Eastern diamondback. Though all are dangerous, Klamp says, the larger the snake, the more fatal its venom. Dr. Doug Berger, veterinarian and owner of All Creatures Veterinary Services on Calhoun Street, says that your pet may have no more than 24 hours to live if it is bitten by a poisonous snake. If left untreated, the venom can cause your pet to enter cardiac or respiratory arrest. Knowing how to protect your pet against snakebites can be a life- ordeath matter. And, although humans are vulnerable to poisonous snakes as well, pets can't distinguish the harmless ones from the deadly ones. Hampton acted on his instincts, unaware that the king snake wasn't dangerous.

4 A copperhead in Kathy LaVanway's backyard bit her 4-year-old dachshund, Patches, on the face several weeks ago. She saw Patches and her other dachshund, Greta, corner the copperhead before it struck. After rushing Patches to Northwoods Veterinary Clinic on Rivers Avenue, the doctor gave him a shot of Benedryl to reduce swelling and prevent infection. Patches took a few days to recover. Since then, LaVanway, a resident of Goose Creek, avoids walking outside in certain areas around her yard with the dogs after dark. She also bought Snake-A-Way, a repellent that is sold in hardware stores. While many people say this product works, LaVanway doesn't use it because she says it makes her yard smell like mothballs. Risky business Berger has treated dogs, cats and even horses for snakebites. Most of his patients are prey-driven or naturally curious dogs, such as Labradors, terriers and spaniels. Most bites occur in July, August and September, but he usually sees no more than five cases over the summer. Similarly, Dr. Tracy Jagocki, a veterinarian at Northwoods Veterinary Clinic, typically sees four to five incidences of snakebites during the summer. Berger says cats are more rare: He's treated one for a snakebite in the past year. But cat owners should still be aware. Cats weigh less than dogs, making the venom of a snakebite more deadly for them. A snakebite on the face near the nose is the most dangerous, Berger says, because the swelling caused by the venom can block your pet's nasal passage, leading to death. The venom also can shock the animal's cardiac and respiratory systems, sending it into arrest if untreated. To treat snakebites, Berger prescribes antibiotics to prevent infection and to support the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. He also gives pets antihistamines to decrease swelling around the bite. Unlike LaVanway, pet owners may not always see the snakebite occur, so it's important to know the symptoms a pet may show if it has been bitten. For example, Berger says, a dog will whine and scratch or lick the area around the bite to show its discomfort. Seek veterinarian attention if your pet exhibits irregular behavior, even if you are unsure if it has been bitten. He discourages trying to treat your pet at home, and urges owners to take their pets to their veterinarians as soon as possible.

5 Know and tell Fear of snakes is common, but not all snakes are dangerous. According to Klamp, some of the indigenous nonvenomous snakes, such as yellow rat, black racer and king, actually prey on and eat many of the venomous snakes. He urges children and adults to learn about and recognize poisonous snakes in their areas. "I would never kill a snake just to kill it," says Bourguignon. "To kill a snake for no reason is crazy." If you must kill the snake, Klamp says, keep in mind that even though a snake may appear dead, its muscles are still active and it can still bite your dog. He adds that cutting off the head is the only way to confirm that the snake is truly dead. After she decapitated the copperhead with her shovel, LaVanway transported it in a bucket to her vet, so the doctor could identify Patches' snakebite quickly. At the least, Berger advises taking a picture of the snake with a camera phone. Protective measures To decrease the risk of bites, Berger advises pet owners to keep their yards clear and free of woodpiles or anything that snakes could hide in. Most snakebites occur when dogs stick their noses into dark, contained areas to sniff around. Berger also suggests keeping lawns groomed and mowed. Still, blank landscapes aren't very common in the Lowcountry. Part of Bourguignon's yard, for example, is covered by Asiatic jasmine, a popular groundcover. Its thick matt of stems and leaves make an excellent place for snakes to hide. And the copperhead that bit Patches was hiding in the tall grasses of LaVanway's yard. Berger also recommends training your dog to avoid or fear snakes. Susan Marett of Purely Positive Dog Training has been teaching both private and group classes for more than 13 years in the Charleston area. In all of her group classes, she discusses several techniques that owners can use to protect their dogs from snakes. One is teaching a dog to obey the "leave it" command, which tells them to back away from something they are approaching. She also has used rubber snakes to train dogs to recognize them in future situations. Berger urges owners to keep their dogs on leashes, especially in areas known to have snakes. "If you see a snake, do not let your dog sniff or approach it. Most snakes, even venomous ones, will only attack if provoked." LaVanway has found both venomous and nonvenomous snakes all over her yard, including ones hidden under a board near her shed and coiled in the hubcap of her car.

6 Bourguignon, who lives right off the marsh, once discovered a rattlesnake that had entered through a vent into her house. Her cats cornered another rattlesnake in her backyard. "When you live with nature, you just gotta suck it up," she says. Snakes can be found almost anywhere in the Lowcountry. Klamp urges those who live near a marsh, swamp, river or lake to be especially cautious of poisonous snakes. So be aware, and don't take the risk of putting your pet, or you, in danger. Reach Elizabeth Laseter at or elaseter@postandcourier.com. Share this story: this story Printer-friendly version Notice about comments: The Post and Courier is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. The Post and Courier does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "suggest removal" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our Web site. Full terms and conditions can be read here. Comments This article has 0 comment(s) (Requires free registration.) Username: Password: (Forgotten your password?)

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